India and China reviewed the situation in the border areas and expressed satisfaction over the progress made in maintaining peace and tranquility along the border during a key border mechanism meeting.
The 35th meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC), which played a key role in addressing tensions during the military standoff on the Line of Actual Control (LAC), was held in Beijing on Wednesday.
A statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs described the discussions as “constructive and forward-looking” and said that the two sides reviewed the situation in the border areas.
They “expressed their satisfaction with the progress made in maintaining peace and tranquility in the border areas, which has enabled progress towards the gradual normalization of bilateral relations,” the statement said.
Skirmishes between Indian and Chinese border forces in the Ladakh sector of the LAC in April 2020 sparked a military confrontation that brought bilateral relations to their lowest levels since the 1962 border war. The two sides reached an understanding on withdrawal of frontline troops from all friction points in October 2024, after which New Delhi and Beijing took several steps to normalize relations.
The two sides also discussed issues related to “border demarcation, border management, mechanism building and cross-border cooperation” during Wednesday’s meeting, the reading reported. The Indian side stressed holding an “early meeting” of the expert-level mechanism on transboundary rivers.
The two sides agreed to maintain regular exchanges and contacts at the diplomatic and military levels through mechanisms, including those agreed upon in the 24th round of talks between the Special Representatives of India and China, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
The two sides also agreed to work jointly on “substantive preparation” for the upcoming meeting of special representatives scheduled to be held in China.
The Chinese embassy said on social media that the two sides held a “constructive dialogue in a practical and friendly atmosphere” and agreed to maintain peace and tranquility in the border areas.
The Indian delegation was headed by Sujit Ghosh, Joint Secretary for East Asian Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Chinese side was led by Hu Yanqi, Director-General of the Border and Ocean Affairs Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Ghosh also met with Liu Jinsong, Director-General of the Asian Affairs Department of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Assistant Foreign Minister Hong Lei.
